Numbers and Counting

Les nombres et le calcul

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Learn the French numbers and how to count from 0 to 59.

French Numbers: 0-19

The numbers 0 to 19 are pretty easy in French; you just need to memorize them like any other vocabulary:

0	zéro		10	dix
1	un		11	onze
2	deux		12	douze
3	trois		13	treize
4	quatre		14	quatorze
5	cinq		15	quinze
6	six		16	seize
7	sept		17	dix-sept
8	huit		18	dix-huit
9	neuf		19	dix-neuf

  Proper French pronunciation

You’ll notice that the consonants at the end of cinq and huit are pronounced. However, this is only true when the numbers stand alone (as in the sound files), precede a vowel or h muet, or are at the end of a sentence. When either of these numbers is followed by a consonant, that final sound is dropped.

Par exemple…

cinq étudiants	five students	q is pronounced [k]
J’en ai cinq.	I have five of them.	q is pronounced [k]
cinq professeurs	five teachers	q is silent

Six and dix offer further complications.

• The x is pronounced [s] when they stand alone or are at the end of a sentence.
• In front of a vowel, the pronunciation changes to [z] due to the required required liaison.
• It’s silent when followed by a consonant

Par exemple…

J’en ai six.	I have six of them.	x is pronounced [s]
six étudiants	six students	x is pronounced [z]
six professeurs	six teachers	x is silent

 French number practice

Get used to French numbers with these listen-and-repeat exercises, as well as random number files to test your comprehension:

• Numbers 0-9
• Numbers 10-19

Using French numbers

Lessons that rely on your understanding of French numbers:

• Dates
• Telling time

French expressions with numbers

• à la une – on the front page of the newspaper, headline news
• le cinq à sept – afternoon tryst
• chercher midi à 14 heures
• couper les cheveux en quatre – to split hairs, quibble
• en deux temps, trois mouvements – in double time, very quickly
• faire d’une pierre deux coups – to kill two birds with one stone
• haut comme trois pommes – very young
• il ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard – he’s nothing special
• quatre à quatre – very quickly
• tourner sept fois sa langue dans sa bouche – to think long and hard (before speaking)
• un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l’auras – a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
• le vendredi treize – Friday the 13th
• un de ces quatre (matins) – one of these days

French Numbers: 20-59

The French numbers 20 through 59 are formed just like their English equivalents: the tens word (vingt, trente, quarante, cinquante) is joined by a hyphen to the ones word (un, deux, trois, etc).

 There is one difference: for 21, 31, 41, and 51, the word et (and) is required between the tens word and un, without hyphens.

20	vingt		30	trente
21	vingt et un		31	trente et un
22	vingt-deux		32	trente-deux
23	vingt-trois		33	trente-trois
24	vingt-quatre		34	trente-quatre
25	vingt-cinq		35	trente-cinq
26	vingt-six		36	trente-six
27	vingt-sept		37	trente-sept
28	vingt-huit		38	trente-huit
29	vingt-neuf		39	trente-neuf
40	quarante		50	cinquante
41	quarante et un		51	cinquante et un
42	quarante-deux		52	cinquante-deux
43	quarante-trois		53	cinquante-trois
44	quarante-quatre		54	cinquante-quatre
45	quarante-cinq		55	cinquante-cinq
46	quarante-six		56	cinquante-six
47	quarante-sept		57	cinquante-sept
48	quarante-huit		58	cinquante-huit
49	quarante-neuf		59	cinquante-neuf

 Listening practice: 20-59

Using French numbers

• Dates
• Phone numbers
• Telling time
• PwLF super list of number lessons

Expressions with French numbers

• 24 heures sur 24 – 24 hours a day
• se mettre sur son trente et un – to get dressed to the nines
• tous les trente-six du mois – once in a blue moon

 French lesson plans

• Color by numbers (Worksheet, 3rd-5th grade)
• Count on me (Worksheet, 1st-5th grade)
• Counting numbers (Worksheet, 1st-3rd grade)
• French numbers printable (Worksheet, 4th-12th grade)
• Learn your numbers (Worksheet, 1st-2nd grade)

 More French numbers

• 60 to 99 | 100 and up
• Approximate numbers
• Fractions
• Multiplicative numbers
• Number troubles
• Ordinal numbers
• Roman numerals

 French for beginners

Self-study checklist with lessons, quizzes, and comprehension exercises.
 

 En español

• Números y recuento
   

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